Sunday, September 19, 2010

Weekend 29 of 52.

Seoul Global Center's Quarterly Foreign Flea Market, as its name declares, happens only 4 times a year. We've been in Seoul for two previous installments, having meant to attend each, and forgotten when the Saturdays finally rolled around. I was set to forget again and thought we should go out to Olympic Park, but Dan remembered because he is so smart.

The Foreign Flea Market is held in the parking lot of the Seoul Folk Flea Market complex. The foreign offerings ($8 for a tube of Quaker Oats, for example) were underwhelming, but the Folk Flea Market was pretty awesome. Dan tried to talk down some guitar hawkers, but each time to no avail. Korrine found, for fewer than $50, a hiking bag for her imminent trip to Taiwan. And we all sifted through a dozen sheets of lapel pins to find Seoul specific buttons.

We serendipitously timed our visit to the market to coincide with a weekly auction, at which we were the only non-Korean participants. The bid crier really appreciated Korrine's foreign enthusiasm and rewarded it with special attention and clever taunts. We got outbid on a classical guitar, then outbid again on a backpack. But we put in a 1000 won bid and won! a portrait of the president's deceased wife in traditional Korean garb. All right! And, even better, for participating, we got three 1000 won gift certificates to use at the flea market with which we purchased our pins. It was a really, really fun way to spend the afternoon, and we are ever thankful that such fortuitous cultural things have their way of happening to us.

Path affirmation. If only all of life's choices could be so easily confirmed, am I right?

Dead and dried. They look like their having a croaky posthumous chat.

The stack of pins.

Purchased. Seoul Olympics 1988, represent.

In the aisles. A vertical turtle race. The next floor up was actually much more organized than this, but maybe less charming.

The food court and the foyer.

Under an inflated dragon arch.

A model hiker.

We played some traditional Korean games. Turns out girls are better than boys at tuho. Korrine and I both sunk a handful of arrows into our pots. I think Dan got one, maybe?

Pom-pon hacky sack.

Our auction experience.

Posing with the Folk Flea Market's mascot.

Laptop shop from above.

Scorching scorpions to aid in Eastern health.

Snake therapy.

We found a playground.

We were not permitted to partake of any potent potables. Total abstinence makes for happy play.

A rock walk for well-being.

At a book cafe on our way home. An Ernest Hemingway Santa Claus figure drawn by a Socio.

And then I made marshmallows so I could eat s'mores.

But they melted quicker than the jet-puffed kind.

And so we ate ugly oven s'mores. But still I want some more, so mission accomplished.